Side by Side Comparison of: Olympus vs Angel

Handy, light and dependable. I like this recorder it has enough memory for a semester (two semesters actually). It's not that cheap and not that expensive, the price is right! The quality is great plus it comes with a USB cord so easy transferring to your computer is possible. Perfect for a Bio student (any student).

Okay guys. Buy it, I love to record lectures and sit in the back of the room. When I first started to hear the recorded lecture the first day I was shocked! I can hear the professor perfectly, it sounds amazing. JUST go ahead and buy it. I am a medical student and I already started recommending it to my classmates. Thank you for this product!! THANK YOU

It does what it says it does. Very simple to use, no hassle.

I'm not an expert recorder, I just got this one because I wanted to record the lessons from a seminar I attended. The microphones are fairly sensitive, so it picks up a lot of the background noise. Maybe a specialized microphone will make this better.

Transferring the files to the PC is easy to do with the included USB adapter. And the sound is much higher playing through the PC speakers than the recorder itself.

Battery life is the best feature here. When it says it lasts a 100hrs, I can totally see that. I recorded 30+ hours of lessons and the battery icons still appears as full or close to full.

Works great for law enforcement purposes. Excellent audio quality, I use it to record in MP3 format which works great. Unlike other Olympus models you don't have to install any software to download the audio tracks. You just connect it like a thumb drive and copy the files, way better than other models!!

I have owned several Olympus digital recorders over the years and this one is the best by far. First off it connects directed to your PC which is a must if you want listen to your recordings on the computer. Not all have this feature... so be sure it says "PC" somewhere in the description. But most importantly ... this recorder can look up previous recordings by the date instead of having to scan and search through numerous recordings before you find the one you are looking for.

I teach recorder class and order these all the time. Decent quality. They usually loose the bag and just carry around their recorder. Great price. I'll continue to order these for the class.

Had fun giving four of these to the grandkids at Christmas! These are good quality!

Go to Utube and look up: Emotional Titanic Flute. My teen who has taken 6 years of music was very interested in duplicating thisvideo with bad flute playing. A bunch of people at his school (8th grade) were doing it also. So they bought this flute and it workedgreat for that purpose. haha. He managed to play bad on purpose to get it to sound just like the video.

Bought this recorder since my fourth grader started studying and playing recorders in music class this year. It is a great basic instrument that I don't mind letting him tote around all over the place since at this price point it is easily replaceable if he breaks it or anything of that sort. They offered him an instrument through the school music program but I kept forgetting to send him with money and missed the deadline. The instrument feels like a very nice solid piece of equipment. The sound quality sounds the same as the ones they have at the school for all the students to play. My son has been toting it all around the house and the park for the last couple weeks and it is holding up very well. I will definitely be repurchasing for when my next child needs one.

The shipping was so quick, it made my head spin! We received this recorder the very next day after purchase. My daughter is in 3rd grade, and her school's music program is teaching recorder for the end of the year. I wanted my daughter to have her own recorder to make her feel special, and also so that she has something to practice on at home. This recorder is beautiful, and looks just as pictured. I tested the tone against my flute (also a C instrument), and it sounds lovely. Not the best tone quality, but fabulous for the price. Very happy so far with this purchase!

I bought this product on a whim even though had no previous background in music because I wanted to start to learn. After a mere week I was already playing great songs with this. Essentially, it's easy to play and the sound is just as you would expected for a regular soprano. I works definitely recommend this to all beginners.

Took this to record voices while on a recording session in Palm Springs, I used Olympus ME-51S microphone to record 3 people talking and playing acoustic instruments outside and by the pool just to get some backing tracks (because sometimes we say ridiculous things and forget about them the next day) I was surprised how well the recordings came out, not CD quality but it's better than you might expect from a hand held. The file system navigation is a bit of a pain having to search through files by date and length. So I just removed the card and gave it to my friend to pull files off directly. Definitely recommend having around, much better than my Samsung Note 5 can record.

This is a superior voice recorder compared to the other few I've owned, and I think the LCD screen is acceptable for "readability" although a backlight feature would be a plus. I'm pleased that you can monitor a recording live as-it-occurs with headphones in the headphone jack. That feature was a "must have" for me. The instructions that come with the Olympus VN-722PC are extremely vague. I'm glad that a PDF file of more thorough/detailed instructions exists and can be downloaded right here on this Amazon page (it is hard to find... look for the "Technical Specifications" heading midway down and on the left side). Anyhow, this recorder is jam packed with useful features and options. It does take some intuitiveness to understand all the bells & whistles, yet it takes very little "smarts" to simply (and rapidly) start recording and later, playing back.
My one star deduction (from a possible 5) was for the smoothness of the plastic housing. I found the unit could easily slip/slide out of my hand, plus the casing was awfully sensitive to handling noise during recording (if you're fidgeting with the unit trying to hold it near someone speaking in a news gathering scenario).
My solution is pictured in this review. I've adhered a strip of rubber splicing tape that I custom cut to fit the bottom half of the Olympus. It's cut so that it doesn't interfere with the battery access panel. I find the rubber tape provides an excellent grip, and your fingers/palm won't slide around on the case/housing. Btw, the rubber tape can be found here on Amazon. Just copy and paste the following in the search field: Morris 60220 Black Rubber Splicing Tape, 600V, 30 mil, 22' Length, 3/4" Width

I'm so impressed with that tape I think I'll use it on other things that need a better grip (no, not that thing ;-)

This really does go a long time on one set of batteries. I have used twice a week to backstop my notes in a lecture-format college class, for a month on the original batteries, and expect I'll get through the rest of the semester or longer without replacement. The USB sync for transferring recordings to computer has worked without hitch. I took the advice of another reviewer and bought the Olympus ME-52W Noise Canceling Microphone to use in class, since it can block out a lot of the background noise, and the pair has worked very well together. The controls definitely are small and unlike a microcassette recorder, power-on takes a few seconds before you can begin recording. This is definitely for set-piece recording in a room, like interview, rather than on-the-go.

I just received mine two days ago and am pleased with it thus far. I have been using small recorders -- microcassette and digital -- in research interviewing for more than 20 years and l have some specialized requirements. I need the recorder to transfer files to a PC easily, and so having to replay a recording through the earphone jack to the microphone jack of the PC is unacceptably slow. I need the recording to be reasonably audible for transcription purposes. And I want it to be compact, easy to use, and unobtrusive when I pull it out of a pocket or backpack as I am requesting permission from an interviewee to record. The 722PC meets these requirements. In the past I have owned a couple different Sony recorders, and this is now my third Olympus. About two years ago I purchased a 702PC at Costco for about $40, and it included connecting cable, batteries and a bonus soft carrying case. I checked with Costco this time as well, but learned they only stock them in the month or two around the beginning of the college school year. The little carrying case is really helpful for protecting the recorder from damage and prevents accidentally pressing a record or playback button if you carry it in a backpack or pocket. I see it can be purchased for an additional $8. Oh well.

In comparison, the 702PC is now about $20 more than the 722, and it has only 2GB of memory, as compared to 4GB internal to the 722. Both have slots for Micro SD cards from 2 to 32GB. But the 702 has some subtle features that are desirable. For example, the 722's buttons seem to me to be a little closer together and smaller, and therefore a little more difficult to use for a man with slightly larger fingers. I think the 722 is a little more compact, but the compactness came with some tradeoffs. I think the sound quality on the 702 may be somewhat better. I tested the 722 for dictation with my own voice, and also tested it on voices from a cable news network. It picked up the TV voices just fine at about 15 feet and probably would have done okay at longer distances. I believe the sound quality is a little poorer for the 722: it has sort of a tinny sound at higher frequencies.

Previous versions of Olympus recorders came with a short cord for connecting to a USB port. This recorder has a little rectangular device in which the two cord ends -- micro USB and regular USB -- connect to the recorder and PC, respectively. At first I was turned off because this gadget suspends the recorder in air beside the USB port. But maybe this is an advantage since you don't have to find a flat surface for the recorder and don't have wires hanging around in your way.

The little connector device comes with a short lanyard so that it can be hung from a small hook in the bottom of the recorder. A previous reviewer reported that the lanyard loop was so short that he/she couldn't get the device to pass through the loop and suspend it from the recorder. Either Olympus corrected the problem, or the reviewer didn't look at it closely. The lanyard connects to the bottom of the wire device with a little plastic tab-like pin, and you simply squeeze the pin to extract it from the device. Then you attach only the lanyard to the recorder and replace the pin in the bottom of the wire device. I think it's a toss-up whether you'd want to have this little device dangling from the recorder, but if you were to store it separately in a pocket or backpack it takes up much less room than the connector wires provided with earlier recorders. It also has a little storage slot for micro SD memory cards. I rate it as an improvement over the previous wire connectors.

Another feature that potential buyers may want to consider is compatibility with voice recognition software like Dragon Naturally Speaking by Nuance. (I use it but have no financial incentive for plugging it.) It is sometimes handy to be able to convert dictation from a recorder directly through software like Dragon to avoid having to type everything. The Nuance website rates various recorders as to sound quality compatibility with their software -- and therefore accuracy of the dictated text. I'm not sure if the 722 is rated, but both the 702 and the 722's forerunner, the 721, are given five out of six marks. They report that a good quality microphone run through the microphone jack of the 702 or 721 can improve text accuracy up to six out of six. Please note that typical voice recognition software needs to be trained to an individual voice, so it is not useful for transcribing interviews that contain voices other than the one to whom the software is trained.

I rated this four out of five because I am fussy. The small shortcoming that I mentioned make the difference in my mind. This recorder does not have the audio quality of a really good digital audio recorder, but it is still a good value for the price.

Review Olympus VN-722PC

This full featured Olympus Voice Recorder arrived in excellent condition packaged with two Alkaline batteries. It's easy to hold and feels solid. I'm looking forward to using it - and telling you more, later. This is the second Olympus Voice Recorder I've purchased after a number of years being satisfied with an earlier model. In the meantime, first impressions:

The included physical manual is incomplete but refers to a robust version loaded on the 4GB built-in memory. The latter has versions in English, Spanish, or French through separate, respective files to a PC or MAC with a furnished, very short USB cable.

The recorder's internal memory is organized with 5 predefined recording folders shown simply A, B, ... Recordings are named by the recording date and sequence number. The manual touts the ability to search for files through a calendar interface. It works by selecting a particular date which then lists the files so recorded: selecting one shifts to its folder and playback begins immediately - the folder's name is listed at that time. You cannot use the calendar list to delete files: first select the file, stop playback, and push "erase".

The USB interface provides a nice way to transfer mp3 (the default - one setting) or wma (three choices, but I recommend only the highest setting) sound files to your computer. Recordings can be made through the built-in mike, optional microphones (including stereo), or through an attached device (not tested). Several pre-defined setups "recording scenes" are pre-defined(dictation, meeting, conference, duplication, duplication/timer, auto divide, telephone, DNS), but how they differ in audio quality is left to your faith in Olympus' engineers. Page 21 of the larger manual tells you how use three of these modes.

The Voice Recorder offers many options. As such, take the time out to get familiar with how to use them through the manual. Unless you've used Olympus products before, it may not seem natural at first, but I think you'll find it reasonably easy to learn.

My son loves it

Kool!

Hi, my name is Ashley and I am a mm of a recorder student..... This product is the absolute worst thing you could ever buy your young child. It produces beautiful sounds when played correctly, but 9/10 times, children do not. I would not recommend this product before 3rd grade, but don't you worry your little pea pecking heart, school will be sending your 8 year old home with their own soon enough. I will pray for you then.

Love the recorder. Easiest to play in tune of any I've used. I always buy Angel. The new packaging, however, leaves a lot to be desired. Each comes in a clear plastic case with a cheap loop closure. The case label has imprinted on several of the recorders, so my black recorders have silver flecks on the fronts.

Cheap price, slightly cheap sound.

I really do like this recorder and I have had fun trying to play different tunes on it. It feels a bit sturdier and looks much more professional than the recorder I remember playing when I was a kid.But the extras that come with it are not very good. Now I know it's a bit nitpicky to pick on extras, but I thought fellow amazonees might appreciate it.The blue plastic case came with tear in the side of it already. It had this tear because the paper with the fingerings on it was pushing right against the seam. It also comes with a cheap feeling cleaning rod, but it does not provide a cleaning cloth. It just says to use a microfiber cloth, but I'm not sure how big the fabric should be since the cleaning rod is almost as thick as the recorder hole.

It's better than nothing but I haven't figured out what setting to put it on for recording my outdoor classes. It seems there is no good setting to catch the voice of my teacher but not pick up every move I make. TIP: The stand is loose and will add noise to the recording so stuff a piece of paper in it.

The recorder is very compact, easy to use and has plenty of space for long recordings. My only criticism would be the volume at playback. To hear it you almost need to place the speaker against your ear.

I just got this to conduct phone interviews for my blog and to record my standup comedy performances. So far, it's easy to use EXCEPT for the fact that the instructions are TERRIBLE! I'm still learning how to use this device. I don't know what all it can do. BUT it has already worked exceptionally well for my phone interviews (i just used it yesterday). I didn't order a pickup mic but I did press record and turn my cell phone on speaker phone...and it picked up all of the sound in the room (including me tapping my feet because I was nervous). It also was VERY EASY to transfer the file from my phone interview to my Macbook. I just did a drag and drop when I located the file and was able to save and rename the file to iTunes. The mic seems to be very sensitive because when I listen to me practice my set, I can hear me swallowing! I haven't figured out how to rename the recording files on the device yet. But overall, it seems to do what I need it to do. SO far, SO good.

. Advertised as easy to use. Directions appear to make this easy to use. But when you actually want use it you realize the directions need clearer and additional information. I cannot imagine how difficult others may be.

The recorder is easy to use and simple. It does what I want it to do but has a good amount of feedback (or excess noise, whatever it is called) even when close up. But it does what I need it to do, so 3 stars.

My son broke his recorder he got from school so we purchased this one off Amazon. It works it just doesn't sound as nice as the one we had. The sound is kinda rough. Not really a smooth sounding instrument. It works but I would look elsewhere and pay the few bucks more for a better one.

Item is okay. However, it appears recorder has been glued together since it won't come apart to clean.

The finger holes were too far apart, and my fingers could not reach them properly.

this is a fairly nice recorder, but impossible to clean. I liked our last one better because it was two pieces so we could take it apart and clean it!

The product shipped quickly but we noticed cracks in the instrument and it looked slightly dirty.

it works okay for a recorder but it is smaller than i thought it would be but it works okay not the best but as for recorders it is average, and that includes the hard to get the right sound out of it from the start... its average and okay not the best but i am no expert on the subject... but if you need one this is okay.

This product is very difficult to learn to use. The quick instruction book doesn't give you enough information to use it properly. Even my very technical husband couldn't believe how complex this item is. I am a writer and need it to facilitate my work, not to create more anxiety. I had to return it.

Not a very user friendly interface. Relatively complicated to use. User's manual just as cryptic. It sits in my drawer until I want to look up a Youtube video to learn how to use it.

I'm very disappointed in the VN-722PC. ... The Text on the Screen is TERRIBLE! It is so small, you simply cannot read it without squinting your eyes - and I have excellent vision! There is a "Simple" Mode you can use to make SOME of the Text bigger, but then you lose important pieces of information such as what format is being used to record. I previously owned the VN-702PC and I was pleased with the VN-702PC. Olympus simply should have kept things the way they were with the VN-702PC. Everything about the VN-722PC is cheaper and made with less quality. For example, the battery cover of the VN-702PC had a hinge that opened up nicely and made loading batteries easy. The VN-722PC has a rubber band that is used to hold the battery cover; which is very annoying and makes loading the batteries difficult to load. Plus, there is no doubt the rubber attachment used to hold the battery cover in place is eventually going to break because it is so poorly constructed. The recording quality is very good, which is why I'm giving this 2 stars instead of 1 star. However, I'm VERY DISAPPOINTED in this VN-722PC product because it isn't as good as its predecessor, the VN-702PC in terms of construction quality and in terms of ease of use. If you have anything other than 20/20 vision, buy a different recorder.

Not as useful as I hoped. I don't think it picks up very well. I sat at the back of the room while the speaker was about 15-20 feet from me, most of the time I could only hear whispers. Ended up using my ipad to record the lectures for about a year.

It was working perfectly fine for about 3 months... then all of a sudden, the recorder was no longer recording.

I assumed that it was something with the settings so I decided to reset and format the recorder. That still did nothing. So I attached an external microphone to the recorder and it was able to pick up my voice. After I detached the external microphone, the recorder was no longer able to pick up anything. I've been trying to troubleshoot the problem but it seems that the built-in microphone no longer works.

The recorder had blemishes all over it. Functionally it worked well (as well as a recorder can sound) but looked like trash.

my fingers are much too short for me to comfortably, or easily play any one piece recorder.I like the Yamaha YRS-302B Soprano Recorder - Baroque 3 Pc. very much. Try it!

Ultimately, this proved to be way too hard to play for our 5-y.o. son. Mostly, the result was a high-pitched non-note that is the result of blownig into the mouthpiece very strongly without covering any of the holes entirely/correctly. I probably could have spent a bit more time teaching him, but even I had trouble getting good notes out of this thing.

Have been using it once a week for 1-2 hours at the time. Occasionally stops for no apparent reason after 10-15 minutes. It's infuriating to realize that a meeting you thought you were recording, actually wasn't. Looking to buy a more dependable brand (Sony, Panasonic etc.)

I haven't even had this recorder for a year and it's broken. I'm in school and use this to record my lectures. When I play them back there is an awful high pitched squeal like sound that makes it impossible to listen to the recordings.

Not a good recorder. I bought this because of its overwhelming good rates, but if you use it you will find that the amount of noise is unacceptable. It is the a very poor recording quality that has no noise reduction.

Neither was the manufacture's warranty good. I contacted them to have it repair, I receive the news that they want me to send it to them, pay the shipping, though under the warranty, and takes more than a month to have it back. The inconvenience and the poor quality make me skeptical about how objective some reviewers are.

There is an huge exaggeration in the content page about it reducing noise, it basically does little at best or you can say does nothing at all. If you record a lecture, all you will hear is the wind, and a very uncomfortable pitch level.

I recorded 3 one hour interviews (and verified them after each interview), turned it off, put it into the bag it comes with and put it into my backpack. When I pulled it out of my backpack this morning, there were no files on the recorder. Seriously, how does it lose files? Not happy with this device at all.

Has very little volume and is hard to operate... would not order it again.

I don't know who's making these reviews. I don't have a reason to lie as I am not trying to talk anyone into purchasing this mistake of a recorder. The notes are terrible. Spend a couple more bucks and buy somthing better. I am very upset at how screechy this thing is. My daughter had been playing for a while and was very excited about her new recorder, only for it to be a piece of junk mail. DON'T DO IT!!! YOU WILL REGRET IT!!! 0/5 STARS!!!

My son dropped this on our hardwood floor and the bottom snapped off. Very irritated that I have to purchase a new recorder before he even got to use it. Recorders tend to be used by children, it should be able to be dropped without snapping in half.

Does not work very well

Sounds awful, tried to return it but I never got an email saying I could

It's just cheap plastic. I was expecting it to be made out of sturdier plastic.The black you see on the picture is wrong. It's more of an espresso color.Ours was out of tune. You may not be able to get the same color at Dollar Tree, but you can get the exact same quality at about 1/5 the price!